Touch the clouds, listen to the heart in the eternal spring city of Kunming

Tourists excitedly take photos at Kieu Tu Mountain (Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China) at an altitude of 3,950m.

The name "Kieu Tu" comes from the shape of the mountain peak, which looks like a jade palanquin that the kings used to move around in ancient times. The mountain peak is 4,223 m above sea level - the ideal height for watching snow, hunting clouds and immersing yourself in the cold air typical of the highlands. For a traveler like me, coming to Kunming is not only to breathe in the scents of the four seasons, but also to find a place to escape the noise, to find a high peak to touch the clouds and sky, to hear more clearly the echoes from deep within my heart. And I chose Kieu Tu mountain for that journey.

The journey to explore Kieu Tu usually starts from Kunming city, where visitors can easily travel by car or high-speed train. However, the most interesting part is still the hike on wooden paths in the middle of the primeval forest. Each step touches the snow-covered treetops, the ice-covered cliffs, making people feel like they are lost in an enchanting fairy-tale world . I set off when the sun was not yet high. The road leading to the foot of the mountain had already begun to bustle with the footsteps of visitors. Not the hustle and bustle of people trying to make a living, but those seeking peace and health - the elderly exercising, couples holding hands, and even lonely travelers like me.

Winter on Kieu Tu starts in November and lasts until April of the following year. This is the most ideal time to conquer this mountain. Heavy snowfall creates a pure white carpet covering the mountains and forests. Streams and small waterfalls freeze into silver silk strips across the mountainside. In the bitter but fresh cold, visitors can play with the snow, take pictures, watch the fog cover the path or try skiing with equipment that can be rented right at the destination. If lucky, visitors can also witness the phenomenon of "frozen sun" when the sun penetrates the thin layer of clouds, the light shines down on the sparkling layer of ice and snow like jade.

The higher I climbed, the fresher and more peaceful the air became. The noise of the city gradually faded away, leaving only the chirping of birds in the canopy, the steady footsteps and the sound of the wind passing through the leaves, like a story from the past. My legs began to feel heavy, sweat beaded on my forehead, but strangely, I felt light inside, each step I took was like a burden of worries being left behind. After each step I passed, I felt stronger, leaving behind all the worries about life, about my own limits.

Sitting on the steps, looking down the valley, Kunming appeared like a watercolor painting - houses close together, a blue lake, white clouds in the distance, morning mist hovering over the undulating mountain peaks. The feeling of conquest does not come from surpassing others, but from surpassing oneself, overcoming fatigue to admire the magical beauty of creation.

The closer I got to the top, the more clouds surrounded me. At times, I felt like I was walking through thin layers of clouds, feeling the cool, damp feeling on my face, so pleasant. The tree leaves seemed to be "bathed" in the mist, lush green. And then the peak of Kieu Tu appeared. Not too massive, but enough to give me the feeling of standing on top of the world. Mr. Nguyen Minh Long, a tourist from Ben Tre province, said: "Standing on the top of Kieu Tu, I felt so small before the vastness of the sky and earth. Taking a deep breath of the thin and pure air, a feeling of peace welled up. There was no more pressure, only silence and echoes from my own heart - thoughts that I never had time to listen to in the hustle and bustle of life." Looking at the city of Kunming from above, white clouds floated under my feet like a giant blanket covering the city that was gradually waking up.

A person who has "encountered" Kieu Tu mountain many times - Ms. Do Thi Oanh, tour guide of Hoang Ha International Travel Company, Lao Cai city, Lao Cai province said: The journey down the mountain is completely different from the journey up. The legs are more familiar, the steps are lighter, but the view is different. The familiar scenery now appears in a new angle, under the brighter sunlight. Kieu Tu mountain is not only a destination on the tourist map, it is also like a silent teacher teaching many people who have visited the lesson of perseverance, of finding peace within oneself, and of the simple, magical beauty of nature.

Leaving Qiaozi, I brought with me not only valuable landscape photos, but also a bit of the silence of the mountains and forests, a bit of the purity of the clouds and sky, and the echoes from deep within my heart that I heard more clearly after that mountain climbing journey. Kunming is still the "city of eternal spring", but in my eyes, it has a new depth, the depth of the silent Qiaozi mountain in the heart of the city.

Source: https://baohoabinh.com.vn/276/201110/Cham-vao-may,-nghe-tieng-long-giua-pho-xuan-vinh-cuu-Con-Minh.htm